ABC Storybook Activities By Ruth Bernau ED 401 Reading Strategies
A. ANTICIPATION ACTIVITIES
1A. Picture Walk (Comprehension) Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use Effective Reading Strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Discern how written texts and accompanying illustrations connect to convey meaning.)
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Before reading Owen I would take a picture walk through this book with the class. Using the Web 2.0 tool SmileBox, we would look at the pictures in the story sequentially and make predictions about the text as we went along. I would ensure that each student had the opportunity to voice their opinions and make sure to emphasis that all ideas are acceptable at this point. This process will help to give the students a glimpse of the text which is about to be read and it will also foster their imaginations.
Questions I may ask the class to consider as we take a picture walk would be: § What are your predictions for the story based on the cover image? § What types of animals are seen in this book? Do you think this book will realistically portray the characteristics of these animals? Why or why not? § What do you think the title Owen has to do with this book? Who do you think Owen is?
2A. Vocabulary Quiz (Vocabulary)
Wisconsin Standard (D.4.1) Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication. (Consult dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources to find and compare definitions, choose among synonyms, and spell words correctly, Use their knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to interpret and convey the meaning of words.)
An anticipation activity which may be used to introduce students to some of the vocabulary found in Owen would be having them complete a vocabulary quiz. The vocabulary quiz created above was made through My Studiyo and gives the students a chance to look at the definitions of six words found in this book: absolutely, terrific, invisible, essential, suddenly, and snip. I would begin this activity by giving the students one of these words and asking them to write down a definition. Next, I would bring up the four choices on a SMART board (or if this class was occurring in the computer lab I would allow each student to have this quiz on their screen.) They would then need to compare their definition to see if it matched closely with any of those given. We would work our way through this process, and I would monitor the students’ results. If many students struggled with the definitions of some of these words, we would take some more time looking at the words in a dictionary and looking at what the prefixes, suffixes, and root words could tell us about their definitions.
3A. Feelings Brainstorm (Vocabulary)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Comprehend reading by using strategies such as activating prior knowledge, establishing purpose, self-correcting and self-monitoring, rereading, making predictions, finding context clues, developing visual images, applying knowledge of text structures, and adjusting reading rate according to purpose and difficulty.)
Wisconsin Standard (C.4.3) Participate effectively in discussion. (Volunteer relevant information, ask relevant questions, and answer questions directly.)
In this final anticipation strategy, students are asked to think about different emotional feelings a person may have. I will begin by explaining to the students that in this book, we are going to see the main character go through a number of different emotions. I will ask the students to think of different emotions which they have experienced. The students will be asked to turn to a partner and brainstorm to create a list of emotions. After they have been given a few minutes to do this, we will go around the room and share our answers. We will add each of the different emotions onto a Kidspiration Web which lists emotions. We will elaborate on this activity in the Building Knowledge section of this lesson (see 3B for details.) This activity is a great way to get students participating in effective classroom discussion related to the upcoming stories. After we have listed these different emotions, I will ask the students to pay particular attention to emotions they see in the story: whether it be in the words or in the pictures. B. BUILDING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ACTIVITIES
1B. Alliteration Voicethread (Phonics, Fluency)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Use a variety of strategies and word recognition skills, including rereading, finding context clues, applying their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, and analyzing word structures.)
Wisconsin Standard (C.4.2) Listen to and comprehend oral communications. (Follow basic directions. Understand increasingly complex sentence structures. Understand a variety of word structures and forms, such as affixes, roots, homonyms, antonyms, synonyms, and word analogies.) (http://voicethread.com/share/1129071/)
This is an activity which will occur with the class after we have taken a picture walk through the text, read through the story, and discussed it briefly. I have created a Voicethread on alliteration. I used the phrase Owen Owned an Old Object to demonstrate the alliteration which occurs in the “o” in the four words of this sentence. The students are then asked to think about the letter which comes at the beginning of their own name and think of a phrase of alliteration containing this letter. This Voicethread will be completed as we spend some time in the computer lab. Each student will be given a microphone to use to record their response. We will also complete a final activity to accompany this in the computer lab (see 1C below.) This activity helps students build on their knowledge of alliteration. To extend further upon this, I may ask the students if they could list any examples of alliteration relating to other characters in the text. (For example: Fuzzy felt far from fuzzy.)
2B. Compound Words (Vocabulary, Fluency)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Use a variety of strategies and word recognition skills, including rereading, finding context clues, applying their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, and analyzing word structures.)
Wisconsin Standard (D.4.1) Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication. (Consult dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources to find and compare definitions, choose among synonyms, and spell words correctly, Use their knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to interpret and convey the meaning of words.)
This activity will build off of activity 2A, which had students focus on some unique vocabulary in Owen. Before the students read this text, I will explain to them that we are going to be on the lookout for some more vocabulary words in Owen. I will ask the students if they can explain to me what a compound word is. Students will be able to share the definition and examples at this point. I will then explain to students that as we read through this text, I would like them to focus on spotting compound words, or two words that are put together to create one word with a single meaning. After we read the book, I will again ask the students if they noticed any compound words in our reading. I will then bring up the Kidpiration document (see above) which overviews some of the compound words found in this text. The students will also receive a hard copy of this sheet. They will be asked to put the beginning and ending of the words listed together to create a new, final word. We will go through the different examples from this sheet on the SMART board as a class. I will ask for students to volunteer during this time. As we create new words, I will ask the students to give me the definitions of the two words separately and the final word as one as well. This will allow students to build knowledge about how compound words change in meaning from the two single words which they consist of. The students will also be able to read through the finished list of compound words to practice their fluency.
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Use a variety of strategies and word recognition skills, including rereading, finding context clues, applying their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, and analyzing word structures. Comprehend reading by using strategies such as activating prior knowledge, establishing purpose, self-correcting and self-monitoring, rereading, making predictions, finding context clues, developing visual images, applying knowledge of text structures, and adjusting reading rate according to purpose and difficulty.)
Wisconsin Standard (D.4.1) Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication. (Consult dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources to find and compare definitions, choose among synonyms, and spell words correctly, Use their knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to interpret and convey the meaning of words.)
The preceding activity can be completed in conjunction with activity 3A. In activity 3A, students are asked to create a list of feelings, based on what they have experienced before. Students are then asked to continue to think about feelings, and to consider the different emotions which are covered in the text and pictures of this book. After the book has been read, this is a second activity which can be used to build off of the knowledge of emotions which were uncovered in the book. The students may again create a web diagram (created with Kidspiration) to brainstorm the emotions which they discovered in the book. (This may build off of the web they created earlier.) Next, after the students have done this, the teacher may ask them if any of these emotions have another name. These other names will be branched out an added on the web (see above for some possible student examples.) This will help the students enhance their vocabulary as they volunteer examples and listen to the input of other classmates. This activity is a great vocabulary activity, but it can also cover fluency if the teacher chooses to have the class read through the words one-by-one.
C. CONSOLIDATION ACTIVITIES
1C. Creating a Story Map (Comprehnsion)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.2) Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature. (Recognize and recall elements and details of story structure, such as sequence of events, character, plot, and setting, in order to reflect on meaning.)
In this activity, the students are given the opportunity to reflect over the main events in the story Owen. This Mind Meister activity could either be done in a computer lab (following activity 1B) or it could be done on a classroom computer and displayed on the SMART board. The students are asked to create a story map of the main sequence of events in the story Owen. If this were done in a computer lab, students would be able to add their suggestions and also see other's inputs as they went along. In the example detailed above, nine of the main events in the story Owen are detailed. However, were the students to complete this task themselves, they may add even more details. This activity is a great consolidation activity which allows the students to reflect on what they have learned and retained throughout the review and reading of this book.
2C. Sketch to Stretch (Comprehension, Vocabulary)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.2) Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature. (Summarize ideas drawn from stories, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, interpreting events and ideas, and connecting different works to each other and to real-life experiences. Extend the literal meaning of a text by making inferences, and evaluate the significance and validity of texts in light of prior knowledge and experience.)
In this activity, I will give students a blank piece of paper. I will ask them to reflect about the main idea or central theme of the story we just read: Owen. They will be asked to draw a picture to demonstrate this main theme. They may also write a few brief key-words from their reading to reflect upon this theme. After they have finished their drawings, the class will be split up into groups and asked to share their pictures. As they do so, at first they will simply need to show their pictures without saying anything. The other group members will be asked to think about what this picture means and how it relates to the text. Next, the student who drew the pictures will share their interpretation. After the groups have had the opportunity to share, we will come back together as a class and discuss the pictures. Were your groups images the same or did they vary? How so? What theme did you feel the text coveyed? Could there be more than one theme in this text? The pictures will then be collected, assessed, and displayed on the wall.
3C. Writing About Your Favorite Object (Comprehension)
Wisconsin Standard (B.4.1) Create or produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. (Write expressive pieces in response to reading, viewing, and life experiences (narratives, reflections, and letters) employing descriptive detail and a personal voice.)
In the preceding activity listed, students are given a prompt to write about concerning the story and a connection to their everyday lives. The students are asked to use their knowledge of the story to explain why Fuzzy was so important to Owen. Next, they are asked to think about their own favorite possessions. They are asked to explain why this possession is so important to them. They are furthermore asked to connect these aspects to different emotional feelings. I created this activity in the form of an online posting center through Whiteboard. (Click the link above and enter the password Owen to view this.) This is an activity I would complete with students in a computer lab. I would have them pull up a blank document and type about Owen, Fuzzy, and their own favorite item(s.) After they had completed this, with some assistance they would be able to post it online on the Whiteboard page. This Web 2.0 tool is a great resource because it allows the students to also see the work of their classmates and gain new insight into varying perspectives.
Assessment of Student Learning: This lesson will be assessed both formally and informally, with particular attention being paid to the included elements in the web diagrams and online writing responses.
1. The students will be assessed based on participation and completion of the brainstorm sheets and webs. -These will be assessed on: *Completion *Orginality *Partner Participation/Effort
2. The students also will be assessed based on their completion of an online post on the Owen Whiteboard found online. On this post, they will be asked to explain why Owen was attached to Fuzzy and describe an object they own that is dear to them. These responses will be assessed based on: *Effort/participation * Inclusion of aspects relating to Owen's attachment to Fuzzy as well as an attachment that they have to an object which is special to them and WHY * Inclusion of emotions/explanations
Owen by Kevin Henkes
Photo Source: http://blaine.org/jules/Photo2ackerley.jpg
ABC Storybook Activities
By Ruth Bernau
ED 401
Reading Strategies
A. ANTICIPATION ACTIVITIES
1A. Picture Walk (Comprehension)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use Effective Reading Strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Discern how written texts and accompanying illustrations connect to convey meaning.)
Before reading Owen I would take a picture walk through this book with the class. Using the Web 2.0 tool SmileBox, we would look at the pictures in the story sequentially and make predictions about the text as we went along. I would ensure that each student had the opportunity to voice their opinions and make sure to emphasis that all ideas are acceptable at this point. This process will help to give the students a glimpse of the text which is about to be read and it will also foster their imaginations.
Questions I may ask the class to consider as we take a picture walk would be:
§ What are your predictions for the story based on the cover image?
§ What types of animals are seen in this book? Do you think this book will realistically portray the characteristics of these animals? Why or why not?
§ What do you think the title Owen has to do with this book? Who do you think Owen is?
2A. Vocabulary Quiz (Vocabulary)
Wisconsin Standard (D.4.1) Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication. (Consult dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources to find and compare definitions, choose among synonyms, and spell words correctly, Use their knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to interpret and convey the meaning of words.)
(http://mystudiyo.com/ch/a113784/go/play)
An anticipation activity which may be used to introduce students to some of the vocabulary found in Owen would be having them complete a vocabulary quiz. The vocabulary quiz created above was made through My Studiyo and gives the students a chance to look at the definitions of six words found in this book: absolutely, terrific, invisible, essential, suddenly, and snip. I would begin this activity by giving the students one of these words and asking them to write down a definition. Next, I would bring up the four choices on a SMART board (or if this class was occurring in the computer lab I would allow each student to have this quiz on their screen.) They would then need to compare their definition to see if it matched closely with any of those given. We would work our way through this process, and I would monitor the students’ results. If many students struggled with the definitions of some of these words, we would take some more time looking at the words in a dictionary and looking at what the prefixes, suffixes, and root words could tell us about their definitions.
3A. Feelings Brainstorm (Vocabulary)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Comprehend reading by using strategies such as activating prior knowledge, establishing purpose, self-correcting and self-monitoring, rereading, making predictions, finding context clues, developing visual images, applying knowledge of text structures, and adjusting reading rate according to purpose and difficulty.)
Wisconsin Standard (C.4.3) Participate effectively in discussion. (Volunteer relevant information, ask relevant questions, and answer questions directly.)
In this final anticipation strategy, students are asked to think about different emotional feelings a person may have. I will begin by explaining to the students that in this book, we are going to see the main character go through a number of different emotions. I will ask the students to think of different emotions which they have experienced. The students will be asked to turn to a partner and brainstorm to create a list of emotions. After they have been given a few minutes to do this, we will go around the room and share our answers. We will add each of the different emotions onto a Kidspiration Web which lists emotions. We will elaborate on this activity in the Building Knowledge section of this lesson (see 3B for details.) This activity is a great way to get students participating in effective classroom discussion related to the upcoming stories. After we have listed these different emotions, I will ask the students to pay particular attention to emotions they see in the story: whether it be in the words or in the pictures.
B. BUILDING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ACTIVITIES
1B. Alliteration Voicethread (Phonics, Fluency)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Use a variety of strategies and word recognition skills, including rereading, finding context clues, applying their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, and analyzing word structures.)
Wisconsin Standard (C.4.2) Listen to and comprehend oral communications. (Follow basic directions. Understand increasingly complex sentence structures. Understand a variety of word structures and forms, such as affixes, roots, homonyms, antonyms, synonyms, and word analogies.)
(http://voicethread.com/share/1129071/)
This is an activity which will occur with the class after we have taken a picture walk through the text, read through the story, and discussed it briefly. I have created a Voicethread on alliteration. I used the phrase Owen Owned an Old Object to demonstrate the alliteration which occurs in the “o” in the four words of this sentence. The students are then asked to think about the letter which comes at the beginning of their own name and think of a phrase of alliteration containing this letter. This Voicethread will be completed as we spend some time in the computer lab. Each student will be given a microphone to use to record their response. We will also complete a final activity to accompany this in the computer lab (see 1C below.) This activity helps students build on their knowledge of alliteration. To extend further upon this, I may ask the students if they could list any examples of alliteration relating to other characters in the text. (For example: Fuzzy felt far from fuzzy.)
2B. Compound Words (Vocabulary, Fluency)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Use a variety of strategies and word recognition skills, including rereading, finding context clues, applying their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, and analyzing word structures.)
Wisconsin Standard (D.4.1) Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication. (Consult dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources to find and compare definitions, choose among synonyms, and spell words correctly, Use their knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to interpret and convey the meaning of words.)
This activity will build off of activity 2A, which had students focus on some unique vocabulary in Owen. Before the students read this text, I will explain to them that we are going to be on the lookout for some more vocabulary words in Owen. I will ask the students if they can explain to me what a compound word is. Students will be able to share the definition and examples at this point. I will then explain to students that as we read through this text, I would like them to focus on spotting compound words, or two words that are put together to create one word with a single meaning. After we read the book, I will again ask the students if they noticed any compound words in our reading. I will then bring up the Kidpiration document (see above) which overviews some of the compound words found in this text. The students will also receive a hard copy of this sheet. They will be asked to put the beginning and ending of the words listed together to create a new, final word. We will go through the different examples from this sheet on the SMART board as a class. I will ask for students to volunteer during this time. As we create new words, I will ask the students to give me the definitions of the two words separately and the final word as one as well. This will allow students to build knowledge about how compound words change in meaning from the two single words which they consist of. The students will also be able to read through the finished list of compound words to practice their fluency.
3B. Feelings Exploration(Vocabulary, Comprehension)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.1) Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Use a variety of strategies and word recognition skills, including rereading, finding context clues, applying their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, and analyzing word structures. Comprehend reading by using strategies such as activating prior knowledge, establishing purpose, self-correcting and self-monitoring, rereading, making predictions, finding context clues, developing visual images, applying knowledge of text structures, and adjusting reading rate according to purpose and difficulty.)
Wisconsin Standard (D.4.1) Develop their vocabulary of words, phrases, and idioms as a means of improving communication. (Consult dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources to find and compare definitions, choose among synonyms, and spell words correctly, Use their knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes to interpret and convey the meaning of words.)
The preceding activity can be completed in conjunction with activity 3A. In activity 3A, students are asked to create a list of feelings, based on what they have experienced before. Students are then asked to continue to think about feelings, and to consider the different emotions which are covered in the text and pictures of this book. After the book has been read, this is a second activity which can be used to build off of the knowledge of emotions which were uncovered in the book. The students may again create a web diagram (created with Kidspiration) to brainstorm the emotions which they discovered in the book. (This may build off of the web they created earlier.) Next, after the students have done this, the teacher may ask them if any of these emotions have another name. These other names will be branched out an added on the web (see above for some possible student examples.) This will help the students enhance their vocabulary as they volunteer examples and listen to the input of other classmates. This activity is a great vocabulary activity, but it can also cover fluency if the teacher chooses to have the class read through the words one-by-one.
C. CONSOLIDATION ACTIVITIES
1C. Creating a Story Map (Comprehnsion)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.2) Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature. (Recognize and recall elements and details of story structure, such as sequence of events, character, plot, and setting, in order to reflect on meaning.)
In this activity, the students are given the opportunity to reflect over the main events in the story Owen. This Mind Meister activity could either be done in a computer lab (following activity 1B) or it could be done on a classroom computer and displayed on the SMART board. The students are asked to create a story map of the main sequence of events in the story Owen. If this were done in a computer lab, students would be able to add their suggestions and also see other's inputs as they went along. In the example detailed above, nine of the main events in the story Owen are detailed. However, were the students to complete this task themselves, they may add even more details. This activity is a great consolidation activity which allows the students to reflect on what they have learned and retained throughout the review and reading of this book.
2C. Sketch to Stretch (Comprehension, Vocabulary)
Wisconsin Standard (A.4.2) Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature. (Summarize ideas drawn from stories, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, interpreting events and ideas, and connecting different works to each other and to real-life experiences. Extend the literal meaning of a text by making inferences, and evaluate the significance and validity of texts in light of prior knowledge and experience.)
In this activity, I will give students a blank piece of paper. I will ask them to reflect about the main idea or central theme of the story we just read: Owen. They will be asked to draw a picture to demonstrate this main theme. They may also write a few brief key-words from their reading to reflect upon this theme. After they have finished their drawings, the class will be split up into groups and asked to share their pictures. As they do so, at first they will simply need to show their pictures without saying anything. The other group members will be asked to think about what this picture means and how it relates to the text. Next, the student who drew the pictures will share their interpretation. After the groups have had the opportunity to share, we will come back together as a class and discuss the pictures. Were your groups images the same or did they vary? How so? What theme did you feel the text coveyed? Could there be more than one theme in this text? The pictures will then be collected, assessed, and displayed on the wall.
3C. Writing About Your Favorite Object (Comprehension)
Wisconsin Standard (B.4.1) Create or produce writing to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. (Write expressive pieces in response to reading, viewing, and life experiences (narratives, reflections, and letters) employing descriptive detail and a personal voice.)
**Writing About Your Favorite Object**
Password: Owen
(http://123.writeboard.com/05e5ae94218e822a5)
In the preceding activity listed, students are given a prompt to write about concerning the story and a connection to their everyday lives. The students are asked to use their knowledge of the story to explain why Fuzzy was so important to Owen. Next, they are asked to think about their own favorite possessions. They are asked to explain why this possession is so important to them. They are furthermore asked to connect these aspects to different emotional feelings. I created this activity in the form of an online posting center through Whiteboard. (Click the link above and enter the password Owen to view this.) This is an activity I would complete with students in a computer lab. I would have them pull up a blank document and type about Owen, Fuzzy, and their own favorite item(s.) After they had completed this, with some assistance they would be able to post it online on the Whiteboard page. This Web 2.0 tool is a great resource because it allows the students to also see the work of their classmates and gain new insight into varying perspectives.
Assessment of Student Learning:
This lesson will be assessed both formally and informally, with particular attention being paid to the included elements in the web diagrams and online writing responses.
1. The students will be assessed based on participation and completion of the brainstorm sheets and webs.
-These will be assessed on:
*Completion
*Orginality
*Partner Participation/Effort
2. The students also will be assessed based on their completion of an online post on the Owen Whiteboard found online. On this post, they will be asked to explain why Owen was attached to Fuzzy and describe an object they own that is dear to them.
These responses will be assessed based on:
*Effort/participation
* Inclusion of aspects relating to Owen's attachment to Fuzzy as well as an attachment that they have to an object which is special to them and WHY
* Inclusion of emotions/explanations